Elevator-gate-operating apparatus.



J. I; DULLE.

ELEVATOR GATE OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 19 11.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

J. J. DULLE.

ELEVATOR GATE OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIONFILED SEPT. 20, m7.

1,252,331, Patented Jan. 1,1918.

3 SEEETS-SHEET 2- 1 1. 1". DULLE. ELEVATOR GATE OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIOKTILED SEPT. 20. 18;! I-

1,252,331, H Patented Jan.?1, 191s-.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

,4 I I abd 3 4 1 ;=i

5 3/ 27 .9 V 3M4 d '2) 4 MIN J QLLLZQ 1 r a" Y QHORNEY JOSEPHJ. DULLE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELEVATOR- GATE-OPERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1. 1918.

Application filed September 20, 1917. Serial No. 192,815.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I. .Iosicru J. DLZLLE. a citizen of the United States. and resident of Kansas (it v. in the'count of Jackson and State of Missolu'i. l1ave invented certain new and useful Improvements incl llevator (late-Operating. Apparatus. of which the following is a s wcilimition.

This invention relates to electricelevator gate operating apparatus. and has for'its objects to provide means whereby the elevator operator on stopping the car at an landhw. must complete an electric circuit to etl'cct the ,opening of the gate for such landing. means for opening the gate and incideutally breaking the ca operating circuit to render further travel of the car. impossible. and means whereb the operator may reestablish the first-named circuit through I branch conductors t'or etl'ecting the reclosing ot' the gate and the return of certain connections of the car operating circuit to normal position so that travel of the car may be resumed.

A further object is to provide emergency manually-operable means for completing the car operating circuit through branch conductors in the event it is necessary or desir able. to operate the car when one of the gates is open.

Another object is to provide means for preventing agate from being opened from a lamling with the aid of the counter-balanee weight thereof.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and pecullar featuresof construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in'order that the invention may be fully understood. reference is to be had to the accompan \-'ing drawings. in which:

Figure .1 is a diagrammatic view of electrical circuits and connections embodying- 2 my inventione I r r Fig. 's a fragmentary vertical section through the elevator hatch way of a building equipped with my invention.

Fig. is a horizontal section on the line.

' III-1IT of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a section on line I.V-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring now to, the drawings. in which like reference": characters identify corresponding par-ts in all of the figures, .1 and 2 represent the positive and negative feed wires from any suitable source of electric current supply. l

Located in a building at any suitable switches 17 to pole lever 21-h it must pass back to the switch point is a switchboard SB, for the flow of current over a wire 3 from the feed wire 1 and for the t1'ow ot current over a wire *1 to the feed wire 2. 'Arranged preferabl at the top of the. elevator, shaft is an electric motor for. operating a hoisting drum, not shown. for raising and lowering the car, said motor being connected in circuit with wires 1 and :2 through the switchboard in any uitable or eonventioi'ial manner, 7 and 8 iiulic'ating wires in circuit with the switchboard and motor.

From the switchboard, a wire 9 leads to the lever 10 of the controller 11 on the elevator'car 12. From the cont roller the wires 13 and 14 connect with a wire 15 leading to a pole 16, of one of a series of switches 17, for each landing in the building.- other pole 18 of the switch is connected by a wire. 1!) to the pole" 11') of the switch for the next landing. the pole 18 ofsaid switch is connected by a wire 20 to the pole 16 of the remainingswitch. and the pole 18 of the latter is connected by wire 21 to one com'iectcd in series. it being obvious that if p the circuit is broken through one of said switches 17. it will be impossible for the. motor 5 to be'operated. It will be understood that whether the current tlows through 2'2. or through the switch board t-l'irough the connection 25. and it will be noted in this connection that when the enmrgency switch is closed. it is necessary that pressure on lever 23 shall be maintained during the. travel of the car. as the instant the pressure.' isremoved from said lever, the circuit will be broken and the car arrested. The controller 11, is mounted as usual uponthc car. though not so shown herein, and also mounted upon the car is an electric magnet. 26. in the car operating circuit."

The magnetZG is secured rigidly upon the car adjacent to a motor 27 provided with a foot or base 28 sliding'ly niountedin a guide bracket 29, one or more push springs being employed to slide the motor away from the magnet 26 when the latter" rsfdee'nergize dr YVhen said magnet is energized, it overcomes the "esistance of said spring or springs and attragts the motor.

The shaft of the motor is equipped with,

small gear a gear pinion 31 meshing with a gear wheel 32 the shaft of which is journaled in hearing arms 33 projecting from the baseof the motor, said gear wheel carrying a smallgear 32. and slides toward the magnet. the large gear wheel 32 and gear 32 are carried with it to position the latter out of the vertical plane of certain rack-bars hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Extending vertically through the shaft at one side of the car. is a pair of channel bars 34. which conjointly constitute a guideway upon which are secured =the switches 17, and said switches comprise in addition to the poles 1t) and 18. the bars 36 for normally electrically connecting the said poles. lCach bar 36 carries a pair of rods 37 ha ving collars 38 or the'like. and springs 39 hearing at their opposite ends against the connecting bars 36 and cross bars 40 secured upon a pair of suitable guide push rods 41. and mounted upon the push rods and hearing against the casing 42 and bars 40 of the switches. are springs 43. which springs when unopposed. effect the disengagement of connecting bars 36 with the poles 1t) and 18. as hereinafter appears. Normally. that is when the gates are closed. the rods 41 are held in advanced position. and through bars 40 and spring 39. hold'the connecting bars 36. yieldingly against said poles 16 and 18.

For each landing there is a slidable weight 44 mounted in a well-known manner as shown. for travel insaid guideway below the respective switch 17. and said switches are closed when said weights are elevated. the upper ends of the weights advancing the rods 41 by applying pressure thereon. Each weight. which may be of any suitable character. isecpiipped with a' vertical rack bar 45 for engagement by the 32. when the car stopped at the respective landing and the i'nagi'iet :26 is deenergized. as hereinafter appears. ()rdinarily the said gear 32"is free topass without engagement with the rack bars.

\Vhen the car is stopped at. a landing by disposing the controllii'ig lever in neutral position as customary. the magnet is ,deenergized and the motor is moved away from the magnet by spring or springs 30. until the said gear 32 engages the rack bar. in'p'hich 1)()Slfl()ll-tl]( gear must remain until the. car -opta-ating circuit is again reestablished. and when reestablished reenergizes the inagnetan-d withdraws the said gear fron1;= engagement w ,ith the rack bar.

Aft li the gear has automatically engaged the rael as explained, t is necessary to, comph circult t0 operate't-he .JllOtOl' 27.

in a certain direction for the purpose of lowering the weight and thereby opening the gate 46, of the respective landing,and" to 'hen the motor is attracted by accomplish; 'thls certain electrical connections'and devices are provided.

The landing gates 46 are. sh'own as of the single type, for vertical movement, but of course may be of the double type or of any special typeof construction. and connecting the upper part of each gate with the respective' weight. is a cable 47 extending over suitable guide sheaves 48. so arranged that the cable shall not extend across the path of the elevator car. w

To prevent the gates being-opened from the landings witli'tlieaid "of the counterbalancing force of the respective weights. hook-shaped catches 48 are pivoted to the guideway at the landings. springs 48" secured to the guideway. pressing against the catches to hold the hooks thereof yicldingly below the raclebars. "hen the motor 27 is moved. following the stoppage of the car and deenergization of the magnet. the shaft of the gear wheels 32 and 32" applies suiii cient pressure on the respective catch above the pivotal point thereof to ett'ect the withdrawal of the hook of the catch from under the respective weight. as shown by full lines. Fig 2. thisbeing accomplished,before or by the timet-he gear 32 engages the rack bar and imparts downward movement there'- to to open the gate. After the car moves either up or down sutliciently to disengage the shaft of said wheels from thecatch. the spring 48" snaps the hook of the catch against the tpothed edge of the rack bar. where it remains until the weight is fully reelevated. the hook being wide enough to avoid catching between the rack teeth. it being understood that the rack bar in length exceeds its extent of travel so that the dog can never overlie it and interfere with reclosing mmement of the gate.

Referring now to the electric connections for the operation of the motor 27. 4!) is a wire leading from feed wire 1 to the customary box B. usually located half way up the elevator shaft. and from said box said wire leads-to said motor 27. Arranged in the shaft near each landing and accessible to thecar operator when the car stops at the respective landing. are hand switches. comprising levers 5t) electrically connected by wire 51 to said wire 2. and poles 5:2 and 53. the levers being engaged with poles 52 J when the weights are elevated and the gates are closed. Poles 52 are connected by wires 54 to the upper switch levers and springs 56 when unopposed cause said levers to engage switch poles 5T electrically i connected bv wire the motor 27.

Poles 53 of the hand switches. are connected by wires 5!). to the lower switch levers 6O normally held in electric engagement by spring 6]. with switch polesti'zZ electrically connected by wire (53 through the box 58 through the box B to" B with said motor :27. With the hand switches positioned as shown. the circuit is broken through the motor 27 from wire (53. and is broken from wire 58 because the switch levers i are disengaged from the poles 57.

For the purpose of operating the levers 55 and (it). said levers are providedwith arms (3+ equipped with rollers (i-i. and each weight is equipped with a cam har (iii of such length thatwhen the respective wei hts are elevated. said cam bars are above the levers GU leaving the spring (31 free to close said levers against poles (:2 as shown. At such time the cam bars are in engagement with the rollers of levers 55 and are holding said levers withdrawn fromthc poles '57. Now when the car stops at a landing. the topmost landing forexample. and all gates are closed. a circuit for operating motor 27 may he established by throwing the lever 50 of the uppermost hand switch. from engagement with the pole 5:2 and into engagement with the pole 53. the circuitestablished be ing as follows: from wire 1 through wire 4!), box .15. motor 27. wire on. pole 12 of the lower hatchwvay or shaft switch for the topmost landing. thence throlpgh switch -lcver ()0 wire 5 pole 53. lever 50. and wire 51 to feed wire 2. The establishment of this circuit operates the motor and through the geared relation between the same and the rack bar of the respective landing. the corresponding weight is lowered and the gate connected thereto is raised or opened. it being not-ed thatas the lowering of the weight begins. the springs 43 ot' the respective switch 17. withdraw the connecting har 3M from engagement with the poles 113 and 1h andflthu's hreakthc car operating circuit. this circuit rcinaining open until the gate is closed. unlessthe emergency switch is operated. To close the gate, the car operator must returnswitch lever 50 to its original position. it being understood that when the weight was lowered in the opening oft'he gate. the cam har released the uppermost ot' the pairof hatchwav or shaft switches of the respective landing to permit the switch lever 55. to'close and then op'en the circuit through the cam bar engagii'ig and operating the other switch lever (it) of said .pair of SWltt'llQS. As the switch lever 50 thus returned to its initial position. circuit. is

completed Ihrouglrthe motor tlor reverse operation of the same to ieiilevatc tin-weight and reclose the gate. this circuit being, as follows: from t'eed wire 1 through wire it). box B, motor 27; wire 5$.,pole 5T. lever 55. wire ,pole 52 of the hand switch. lever 50,0f said switch. and wir 31 to feed ivireii. and the reelevation of the weight etl'ects'upward movement of" the piislrl-iars il andtthe yielding pressure of'hai- 36 against poles 16 and l 8 of the respective switch 17, and

vvto effect thereby enables the operator by throwing the controller lever, to recoinplete the circuit through motor 5 and effect travel of the car.

In the event that a gate is left open and it is inconvenient for the operator to close it or to send some one to do so. he can close the circuit through the motor 5 by pressure on switch lever 3, and therein complete a circuit as follows: from t'eed wire 1 through wire switch hoard. wire 8,motor 5. wire 7. back to switch board. thence through wire 9 to lever 10 of the controller 11. and from the controller through wire 13 or 14 according to the direction in which it is desired the car shall move, to wire 15, then through the lever contact 22. and wire 25 back to the switch board. and from the latter through wire i to feed wire 2. it being noted in this connection. that current through the emergency switch will cease flowing the iiistant pressure on the lever 23'is removed. it being desirable to put the operator to some trouble in order to close the circuit through .the emergency switch to discourage use apparent that I have produced apparatus for increasin the safetv of o )ei'ation of i n I I elevator cars. and while it is shown and described as for use jWIlLl'l freight elevators, it is to be understood that it,.1s suceptihlc for use with iassen cr elevators. and it will i h I u also be apparent that \ul'ltiljs changes in the deta l cmistruction, form and arrangement of the parts may may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. The, combination in a structure having an elevator car. gates controlling the landings for the ear and counter-ha]ance weights for the gates. of holding means for each weight to prevent downward movement thereof when the respective gate is closed. means for tripping either of said holding means to free the respective counter-hidance weight for downward movement.an electric motor carried by the car. means to throw said motor into operative relation to the weight of any landing at which the car stops, and means for operating the motor downward inovenient of such weight.

2. The (annbination in a building having an elevator car, gates controlling the landings for the car and counterbalance weights for the gates. of holding means for each weight to prevent downward movement thereof when the respecti\'e gate .is closed. means for tripping either of said holding means to free the respective counter-balance weight for downward movement. a motor upon the car, means to place the motor in op erativc relation with the weight to impart movement to the same after the holding means has been tripped, means for circulating an electric current through the motor to effect the lowering of the-weight. and means for reversing the flow of the current to reverse the operation of the motor to effect the reelevation of the weight.

3. The combination in a building having an elevator car. gates controlling the landings for the car and coi'interbalance weights for the gates. of holding means for each weight to prevent downward movement thereof whe the respective gate is closed, means for tripping either of said holding means to free the respective counter-balam-e weight for downward movement, a motor upon the car, means to place the motor iin' operative relation with the weight to im-' part movementto the same after the holding means has been trippethmeans forcirculating an electric currentthrough the motor to effect the lowering of thegate, means for reversing the flow of the current to reverse the operation of the motor to effect the re-, elevation of the weight, and means for restoring the motor to inoperativeposition with relation to the weight.

4. The combination in a building. having an elevator car, gates controlling the landings for the car and counterbalance weightsl for the gates, of holding means for each weight to prevent downward movement theleof when the respective gate is closed,- means for tripping either oti said" holding means to free the respective rountcrkbalance weight for downwa r eme'nt; upon thecar, means flo i the:- motor in operative relation withthef ghtto impart movement to the same afft'er the holding means has been tripped. meansforcirculating an electric current-through themotor to effect the lowerii'lgfof' the weight, means-for reversing'the flow of the ci'irr'ent to -r'everse, the operation of the motor-toefiect' the' reelevation of the weight. and an :clectromagnet for withdrawing the motor from' ope 'ative relation-to said weight.

The combination in a structure having an elevator car. gates controlling the-landings for the ca r and rountcrlailance ve ight s for the gates. of a motor on the car. means for placing the motor in operative relation to the weight fr any gate when the carv is at the respective landing. and means for operating the motor to effect movement of the weight in the desired direction.

(5. The combination in a structure having an elevator car. gates controlling the landings for the car and counterbalance weights for the gates. of a motor on the car, means for placing the motor in operative relation to the weight for any gate when the car is at the respective landing. means toroperating the motor to elfect movement of the weight in the desired direction. and means to restore the motor to inoperative position when the weight is elevated.

7. The combination in a structure having an elevator ear. gates controlling the landings for the car and counterbalance weights for the gates. of a motor on the car. means for placing the motor in operative relation to the weight for any gate when the car is at the respectivelanding, means for operating the motor to effect movement of the weight in the desired direction, means to re store the motor to inoperative position when the weight is elevated, and automaticmeans for preventing downward movement of the weight when the motor occupiesits inopcrative position. i

8. In a structure having an elevator car, gates controlling the landings for the car and counter balance weights for the gates, the combination of electrical devices including a motor for operating the car. a controller onjthe car,\ an electro-magnet and a circuit breaking switch for each landing.

the circuit breaking switches being connected in series with the motor, controller and magnet, and held closed by said weights when the gates are closed, a motor on the car for attraction to inoperative position by the magnet when the latter is energized. means for disposing the motor in operative relation to the respective weight when the car is stopped at a. landing by breaking the circnit through the magnet and first-named motor by operation of the controller, a pair of automatically closing switches electri (rally connected to the motor on the car and adapted to be alternately opened and released by the weight in moving from one position to another to effect movement of the gate, and a hand switch for completing a circuit through the closed automatic switch to operate the motor to effect travel of the weight until it'releases the opened automatic switch and opens the closed automatic switch.

In testimony whereof. I atlix my signature.

JOSEPH J. DULLE. 

